2 November 2019

UAW sanctions plant closing, expansion of temps in deal with Ford

By Shannon Jones, 2 November 2019

The tentative agreement announced with Ford will further advance the restructuring of the auto industry into a low wage sector employing large numbers of contingent workers.

Ford workers must reject deal patterned on UAW-GM sellout

Ford Canada announces more job cuts as GM prepares final shutdown in Oshawa

Corruption scandal moves in on UAW President Gary Jones

By Joseph Kishore, 2 November 2019

The latest allegations, involving the embezzlement of $1.5 million in dues money, follow the shutdown of the GM strike as the UAW attempts to ram through a pro-company agreement with Ford.

More on autoworkers struggles »

Trump targets Corbyn in UK election intervention

By Laura Tiernan, 2 November 2019

Trump’s intervention comes less than four months after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned the US government would not allow a Corbyn government to take office and would “push back” to prevent this.

Chicago Mayor Lightfoot’s budget: Increased policing and austerity on behalf of the financial aristocracy

By Alexander Fangmann, 2 November 2019

Lightfoot’s first budget, containing large increases to the police department and higher fees affecting workers, is a continuation of the Democratic Party’s right-wing assault on the working class.

Oppose the betrayal of the Chicago teachers strike!
CTU moves to shut down strike without giving teachers right to vote on sellout contract

By the WSWS Teacher Newsletter, 1 November 2019

Chicago Teachers Union attempting to ram through tentative agreement over widespread opposition

Democrats, union leaders intensify pressure on striking Chicago teachers to accept austerity contract

Prime Minister Hariri’s resignation intensifies Lebanon’s political crisis

By Jean Shaoul, 2 November 2019

The political vacuum in Lebanon poses the risk of an intervention by the regional powers or their local proxies.

India: Growing support for 48,000 Telangana workers fired for striking

By Arun Kumar and Kranti Kumara, 2 November 2019

The Telangana transport workers courageously defied the state Chief Minister’s ultimatum that they immediately end their strike or be deemed “self-dismissed.”

CIA death squads responsible for spike in Afghan civilian casualties

By Bill Van Auken, 2 November 2019

A Human Rights Watch report documents extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances and attacks on medical facilities by militias trained, funded and directed by the CIA.

Bangladesh: Sixteen sentenced to death over brutal murder of student

By Rohantha De Silva, 2 November 2019

The Bangladeshi government is exploiting outrage over the brutal murder of a young woman to step up its law-and-order attacks on democratic rights.

Exhumation of Franco: Spain’s ruling class pays homage to a fascist dictator

By Alejandro López and Alex Lantier, 2 November 2019

Last week, the Spanish Socialist Party government exhumed the remains of fascist dictator General Francisco Franco from his vast “Valley of the Fallen” mausoleum.

Germany’s grand coalition extends military operations in Syria and Iraq

By Johannes Stern, 2 November 2019

Eighty years after the end of the Second World War, leading politicians from all parties openly advocate policies of war and military violence.

Washington threatens to fight Syria and Russia for oil

Australia: Official unemployment figures downplay growing jobs crisis

By Terry Cook, 2 November 2019

The mass destruction of full-time jobs and a rapid growth in casualisation across every sector has been overseen by Liberal and Labor governments alike.

Australian Labor Party leader puts big business “first and foremost”

Australia: Further cuts to jobs and working conditions loom in NSW power industry

New Zealand: Anti-China propagandist Anne-Marie Brady speaks at Victoria University of Wellington

By Tom Peters, 2 November 2019

Brady is demanding a full-scale witch hunt against Chinese “interference” in order to align New Zealand even more closely with US war preparations.

Australian state Labor government spearheads anti-protest laws

1 November 2019

US House of Representatives votes to back impeachment inquiry

By Patrick Martin, 1 November 2019

Merger between PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler presages new assault on autoworkers

By Shannon Jones, 1 November 2019

More fires ignite as wildfire season deepens in California

By Kevin Martinez, 1 November 2019

Inquiry issues cover-up report on Grenfell Tower fire disaster

Trump blames mass uprising in Chile on “foreign efforts”

By Bill Van Auken, 1 November 2019

Peronism returns to power in Argentina amid simmering social anger

US: Murray Energy files for bankruptcy, miners’ pensions in peril

By Samuel Davidson, 1 November 2019

PG&E; "can tell you what to do and you have to pay them money"
Growing outrage over PG&E; role in California fire disaster

Hundreds of thousands evacuated, more than two million without power as fires continue in California

England-Bulgaria match highlights growing fascist activity around European soccer

By Paul Bond and Robert Stevens, 1 November 2019

Pentagon awards $10 billion cloud computing contract to Microsoft

By Kevin Reed, 1 November 2019

New in Portuguese

Peronismo retorna ao poder na Argentina em meio a enorme revolta social

Andrea Lobo, 2 Novembro 2019 2019

Apesar de sua demagogia populista vazia, Fernández já deixou claro que imporá brutalmente as exigências do capital financeiro.

New in French

La fusion entre le Groupe PSA et Fiat Chrysler laisse présager une nouvelle attaque contre les travailleurs de l'automobile

Shannon Jones, 2 novembre 2019

La création du quatrième plus grand constructeur automobile du monde va intensifier la lutte pour les parts de marchés mondiaux et les profits sur fond de signes croissants de guerre commerciale et de récession.

L'interdiction de la publicité politique sur Twitter: Une nouvelle mesure pour censurer l'Internet

Andre Damon, 2 novembre 2019

La décision de Twitter est une capitulation face aux demandes des démocrates du Congrès et des médias qui demandent aux entreprises technologiques de censurer plus agressivement les déclarations politiques, sous prétexte de «vérification des faits».

New in German

Twitter stoppt politische Werbung: Ein neuer Schritt zur Zensur des Internets

Andre Damon, 2. November 2019

Der Schritt von Twitter ist eine Kapitulation vor den Forderungen der Demokratischen Partei und der Medien, dass Technologieunternehmen politische Aussagen unter dem Deckmantel des „Faktenchecks“ aggressiver zensieren müssen.

US-Repräsentantenhaus stellt sich hinter Untersuchung zur Amtsenthebung

Patrick Martin, 2. November 2019

Die Untersuchung dürfte innerhalb eines Monats in ein „Impeachment“ münden – die Anklage, die ein Amtsenthebungsverfahren nach sich zieht.

Stoppt den Rechtsruck an den Universitäten
Lebhafte Diskussionen auf IYSSE-Veranstaltungen in Berlin und Bochum

unseren Korrespondenten, 2. November 2019

Rund 70 Studierende und Arbeiter kamen am Dienstag und Mittwoch zu den Vorträgen an der Berliner Humboldt-Universität (HU) und der Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB).

New in Spanish

Twitter prohíbe anuncios políticos: otro paso en la censura del internet

Andre Damon, 2 noviembre 2019

El paso de Twitter es una capitulación a las demandas de los legisladores demócratas y la prensa de que las empresas tecnológicas censuren más agresivamente las declaraciones políticas, detrás del disfraz de “verificar su veracidad”.

Cámara de Representantes de EE. UU. vota a favor de investigación de juicio político contra Trump

Patrick Martin, 2 noviembre 2019

La resolución prepara el escenario para la celebración del público de audiencias televisadas y la probable redacción de artículos formales de juicio político en el transcurso del próximo mes.

¡Opónganse a la traición de la huelga de maestros en Chicago!
Líderes sindicales de la CTU se preparan a poner fin a la huelga sin dar a los maestros el derecho de votar sobre el contrato entreguista

el Boletín de los Maestros del WSWS, 2 noviembre 2019

La Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) anunció el jueves que pondrá fin a la huelga de 11 días, la más larga en treinta años, y ordenará a los maestros a trabajar hoy antes de darles el derecho a votar sobre un nuevo contrato.

Trump culpa "influencias extranjeras" por levantamiento masivo en Chile

Bill Van Auken, 2 noviembre 2019

El presidente de Estados Unidos expresó su apoyo al intento del gobierno chileno de "restablecer el orden" después de que se vio obligado a suspender la cumbre de APEC programada en Santiago.

Política de derecha en una envoltura de “izquierda”: el plan de educación de Elizabeth Warren

Nancy Hanover, 2 noviembre 2019

Rondando el tope de las encuestas, la candidata presidencial demócrata Elizabeth Warren sigue su contienda populista de “izquierda” con su nuevo plan de la educación.

New in Arabic

أبو بكر البغدادي وتاريخ العراق المنسي

٢٨ تشرين الأول أكتوبر ٢٠١٩

أعلن الرئيس الأمريكي دونالد ترامب مقتل أبو بكر البغدادي صباح يوم الأحد بدماء ووحشية لم يسمع بها من قبل رئيس أمريكي.

New in Norwegian

Den globale ungdomsradikaliseringen og kampen for sosialisme

Eric London, 31. oktober 2019

Den politiske oppvåkningen av historiens mest utdannede, urbaniserte og teknologisk sammenkoblede generasjon er av kritisk strategisk betydning for hele arbeiderklassen.

Storbritannia holder generalvalg den 12. desember

Robert Stevens, 31. oktober 2019

Parlamentsrepresentantene stemte for å avholde det som trolig vil bli det mest uforutsigbare valget i britisk etterkrigshistorie.

Tyskland: Studentparlamentet ved Humboldt Universitet støtter rettssak mot ytrehøyre-professoren Baberowski

Christoph Vandreier, 31. oktober 2019

Den juridiske klagen er et viktig skritt for forsvaret av studentenes ytringsfrihet i møtet med en offensiv fra radikale høyreorienterte krefter innen det akademiske miljø.

Stopp studentrådets sensur av sosialistiske synspunkter ved Universitetet i Leipzig

IYSSE Leipzig, 31. oktober 2019

Studentrådet nektet IYSSE offisiell klubbstatus og påla effektivt sett sensur for venstreorienterte og sosialistiske synspunkter på universitetsområdet.

Ukrainas statsminister opptrer på nynazistisk rock-konsert

Jason Melanovski og Clara Weiss, 31. oktober 2019

Den offentlige fremvisningen av statsministerens bånd til nynazister er en kalkulert trussel mot arbeiderklassen, samtidig med forberedelsene til privatiseringer og de pågående internkampene innen styringselitene over utenrikspolitikken.

New in Turkish

GM grevi ve küresel sınıf mücadelesi

Marcus Day, 23 Ekim 2019

WSWS Otomotiv İşçileri Bülteni, GM işçilerini, anlaşmaya “hayır” oyu vermeye, tabandan fabrika komiteleri kurmaya ve grevin kontrolünü sendikanın elinden kendi ellerine almaya çağırıyor.

Katalan milliyetçilerine hapis cezası: İspanyol hükümeti bir polis devleti inşa ediyor

Alex Lantier, 23 Ekim 2019

Katalan milliyetçisi partiler seçimlerde, 135 sandalyeli Katalan meclisinde, kıl payı bir çoğunlukla, 70 sandalye kazandılar.

ABD askerleri Suriye’den Irak’a çekildi

Patrick Martin, 23 Ekim 2019

Pazartesi günü yüzlerce ABD askeri, Suriye sınırından Irak’a geçti. Bu, Başkan Donald Trump’ın Washington’da bir siyasi fırtına koparan çekilme emrinin ilk büyük ölçekli yerine getirilmesiydi.

Other Languages

Perspective

Comparing two impeachments

2 November 2019

In light of Thursday’s vote in the House of Representatives to formalize the impeachment inquiry against Trump, it is worth contrasting the events now unfolding in Washington to those that led to the resignation of Richard Nixon 45 years ago.

Earlier Perspectives »

International Youth and Students for Social Equality

Hamburg senate deploys police against student anti-Nazi protest

By Christoph Vandreier and Johannes Stern, 2 November 2019

Hundreds of Hamburg students have protested against the return of Bernd Lucke, founder of the far-right Alternative for Germany, to their university in the past two weeks.

Stop the censorship of socialist views by the University of Leipzig student council

By the IYSSE Leipzig, 30 October 2019

Germany: Humboldt University student parliament supports lawsuit against far-right Professor Baberowski

By Christoph Vandreier, 25 October 2019

Free Assange and Manning

Roger Waters on RT: “The US and UK are trying to kill Julian Assange”

By Kevin Reed, 2 November 2019

Roger Waters, the internationally acclaimed musician and creative force behind the rock band Pink Floyd, is playing a prominent and welcome role in the fight to free the WikiLeaks publisher.

UK art exhibition for Julian Assange: “If courage was not contagious, I wouldn’t be here today”

By Paul Bond, 1 November 2019

Australian parliamentarians form cross-party group in defence of Julian Assange

By Oscar Grenfell, 30 October 2019

Public meetings in Australia and New Zealand
Stop the US extradition of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange! Free Assange and Manning!

28 October 2019

Julian Assange’s court hearing in London: Britain stages a lawless show-trial

By Oscar Grenfell, 24 October 2019

Hundreds protest outside Westminster Magistrates Court to demand freedom for Julian Assange

By Richard Tyler, 23 October 2019

UK judge rejects delay in Assange extradition case

More on the campaign to Free Assange and Manning »

Arts Review

100 years since the founding of the Bauhaus art school and movement: “A New Era”

By Sybille Fuchs, 2 November 2019

The question arises: what was so special about this school, which existed for just 14 years (1919-1933) and was forced to change its location three times in Germany due to the hostile reaction of conservative and nationalist forces?

Netflix’ Living with Yourself with Paul Rudd: The divided self … from A to B

By David Walsh, 30 October 2019

The Current War: Director’s Cut—About Thomas Edison, electricity and the 1880s

By Joanne Laurier, 28 October 2019

George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess in triumphant return to New York’s Metropolitan Opera

By Fred Mazelis, 26 October 2019

History

Slavery and the American Revolution: A Response to the New York Times 1619 Project

By Tom Mackaman, 1 November 2019

This is the text of the lecture delivered by Tom Mackaman at the University of Michigan on October 22, 2019 as part of a series on the New York Times' "Project 1619."

An interview with the author of The Free State of Jones
Historian Victoria Bynum on the inaccuracies of the New York Times 1619 Project

By Eric London, 30 October 2019

Bynum is an expert on the attitude of Southern white yeomen farmers and the poor toward slavery.

Alexander Reznik’s Trotsky and Comrades: A false account of the emergence and politics of the Left Opposition

By Clara Weiss, 29 October 2019

Commentary

Twitter’s ban on political advertisement: A new move to censor the internet

By Andre Damon, 1 November 2019

The Boeing crashes and the criminalization of American capitalism

By Bryan Dyne, 31 October 2019

One year since the first Boeing 737 Max 8 crash

Trump’s booing at the World Series makes Democrats and the media nervous

By David Walsh, 31 October 2019

Independent pathologist says evidence shows Jeffrey Epstein’s death was a homicide

By Kevin Reed, 31 October 2019

Fed guarantees more money for Wall Street as attacks on workers intensify

By Nick Beams, 31 October 2019

The global youth radicalization and the fight for socialism

By Eric London, 30 October 2019

Seventy percent of US Millennials say they are likely to vote socialist

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the forgotten history of Iraq

By Andre Damon, 29 October 2019

Democrats to hold House vote to authorize impeachment inquiry

By Barry Grey, 30 October 2019

Right-wing politics in a “left” wrapper: Elizabeth Warren’s plan for education

By Nancy Hanover, 29 October 2019

No to American fascism! Build a mass movement to force Trump out!

By the Political Committee of the Socialist Equality Party, 14 October 2019

Socialist Equality Party

Video: 70 years after the Chinese Revolution—How the struggle for socialism was betrayed

31 October 2019

Australian and New Zealand students speak after lecture on 70th anniversary of Chinese Revolution

By our reporters, 31 October 2019

Sri Lanka: SEP presidential candidate addresses meetings in war-ravaged north

By our reporters, 30 October 2019

Sri Lankan SEP and IYSSE hold successful meeting on India’s Kashmir lockdown

Vote for SEP candidate Pani Wijesiriwardena in the Sri Lankan presidential election
Build a socialist movement against imperialist war, austerity and dictatorship

By the Socialist Equality Party (Sri Lanka), 25 October 2019

Socialist Equality Party holds series of public meetings on “The Socialist Answer to Brexit: For the United Socialist States of Europe”

By the Socialist Equality Party (UK), 25 October 2019

SEP and IYSSE meeting series in the United States
Race, Class and the Fight for Socialism: Perspectives for the Coming Revolution in America

11 October 2019

Eightieth birthday tribute to Sri Lankan Trotskyist Nanda Wickremasinghe

By David North, 26 October 2019

Nanda Wickremasinghe, who turned 80 on October 15, is a founding member of the Sri Lankan section of the ICFI.

Mehring Books

Mehring Yayıncılık publishes new ICFI books for İstanbul Book Fair

By Ulas Atesci, 29 October 2019

Obituary

Detroit Democrat John Conyers, long-standing fixture in Congress, dies at 90

By Patrick Martin, 30 October 2019

Workers Struggles

Thousands of doctors strike in Tamil Nadu, India
Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific

2 November 2019

While 16,000 Tamil Nadu doctors walked-out to demand salary increases and promotions, thousands of the state’s railway workers struck against privatisation measures.

New wildcat strike paralyzes French rail network

By Alex Lantier, 31 October 2019

GM execs gloat over new UAW contract in call with Wall Street investors

By Jerry White, 30 October 2019

GM fires Flint workers over social media posts during strike

Lessons of the GM autoworkers strike

By Marcus Day, 28 October 2019

GM refuses to rehire victimized Mexican workers who supported US strike

“Temporary workers are human too”
Arlington GM temp worker with cancer speaks out on his firing four days before strike

Vote no! Reject UAW misinformation! Elect rank-and-file committees to expand the strike!

By the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter, 20 October 2019

The GM strike and the global class struggle

More on the GM strike »

New York City transit workers and the fight for social equality

By Allen Whyte and Daniel de Vries, 30 October 2019

Striking Chicago teachers and staff determined to defend public education

By a WSWS reporting team, 29 October 2019

Washington DC: Private metro contract workers launch first transit strike in over 40 years

By Nick Barrickman, 28 October 2019

This week in history: October 28 - November 3

25 years ago: Susan Smith confesses to killing her children

On November 3, 1994, Susan Smith confessed to murdering her three-year-old and one-year-old sons, Michael and Alexander, in South Carolina. Smith, who was white, had previously told police that she was carjacked at a red light by an armed black man who drove away in the vehicle with her children.

More »

50 years ago: Emílio Garrastazu Médici becomes president of Brazilian military dictatorship

On October 30, 1969, General Emílio Garrastazu Médici was sworn in as the new president of Brazil. The military president was the replacement for the military junta which had assumed direct rule at the end of August in order to prevent Brazil’s vice president, a civilian, from assuming the office of the presidency after the previous military dictator, President Arthur da Costa e Silva, became deathly ill.

More »

75 years ago: Slovak anti-Nazi uprising brutally repressed

On October 28, partisans of the Slovak resistance movement acknowledged that their attempt to oust German occupiers from the country and overthrow the Nazi-collaborationist government of Jozef Tiso had been defeated.

More »

100 years ago: Nearly half a million US coal miners strike

On November 1, 1919, 425,000 coal miners in the United States struck in opposition to the leadership of the United Mine Workers (UMW) union. A rank-and-file upsurge forced the union leadership to call a national convention of the union in Cleveland in September. Some 2,000 delegates called for a national strike to begin on November 1.

More »

Book Review

Edward Snowden: The man who exposed the electronic surveillance of everyone by US intelligence

By Kevin Reed, 12 October 2019

History

Introduction to the 1955 SWP resolution “The Third Chinese Revolution and its Aftermath”

By Peter Symonds, 9 October 2019

From the archives
SWP resolution: The Third Chinese Revolution and its Aftermath

Introduction to the 1951 report to the Fourth International by Chinese Trotskyist Peng Shuzhi

By Peter Symonds, 3 October 2019

From the archives
The Causes of the Victory of the Chinese Communist Party over Chiang Kai-Shek, and the CCP’s Perspectives

Featured Commentary

Drawing the lessons of the ICFI split—International Strategy and National Tactics: The change in the ICFI’s approach to national liberation movements

By Deepal Jayasekera, 30 September 2019

This lecture was delivered to the Socialist Equality Party (US) Summer School on July 25, 2019 by Deepal Jayasekera, Assistant Secretary of the Socialist Equality Party in Sri Lanka

Introduction to the Turkish language edition of In Defense of Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky’s four fateful years in Prinkipo: 1929-1933

By David North, 23 September 2019

The ICFI and the Crisis of Stalinism

The World Capitalist Crisis and the Tasks of the Fourth International: An analysis of the ICFI Perspectives resolution of 1988

The International Committee’s response to the “End of History”: The March 1992 Plenum of the ICFI

The Dissolution of the USSR and the Unipolar Moment of US Imperialism

China: Thirty years since the Tiananmen Square massacre

The Political Origins and Consequences of the 1982–86 Split in the International Committee of the Fourth International

Mehring Books

Preface to the Turkish edition of The Russian Revolution and the Unfinished Twentieth Century

By David North, 2 September 2019

Preview the new publication from Mehring Books
Author’s introduction to Bolsheviks Against Stalinism 1928-1933: Leon Trotsky and the Left Opposition

By Vadim Z. Rogovin, 30 August 2019

Now available from Mehring Books
Bolsheviks Against Stalinism 1928-1933: Leon Trotsky and the Left Opposition by Vadim Z. Rogovin

The 2020 US Elections

Joe Biden: A familiar face, a deeply reactionary record

By Patrick Martin, 23 September 2019

Amy Klobuchar: The favorite Democrat of Senate Republicans

By George Gallanis, 19 August 2019

International Online May Day Rally 2019

Opening report to Online International May Day Rally
The resurgence of class struggle and the fight for socialism

By David North, 6 May 2019

The future lies in socialism

By Joseph Kishore, 13 May 2019

On May 4, the International Committee of the Fourth International held its annual International May Day Online Rally, with speakers and participants from throughout the world. Readers can listen to the entire rally here.